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BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY 


A CONDENSED. GUIDE 


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BOSTON 
PUBLISHED BY THE TRUSTEES 


1921 


THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRA 


Cuartes F, D. BEtpen, Librarian. 


CENTRAL LIBRARY "COPLEY SOUARE, 


BRANCH LIBRARIES AND READING ROOMS. 


Civ PROPER: 
NortH Enp Brancu, 3a North Bennet St. 
SoutH Enp Brancu, 397 Shawmut Ave. 
West Enp BrancuH, Cambridge, cor. Lynde St. 
TYLER STREET READING Room, Tyler, cor. Oak St. y 


BRIGHTON. 
BriGHton Branch, Academy Hill Road. 
ALLSTON READING Room, 138 Brighton Ave. 
Faneuil ReEapinGc Room, 100 Brooks St. 


CHARLESTOWN. 
CHARLESTOWN Brancu, Monument Sq., cor. Monument Ave. 


DORCHESTER. 
CopMAN SQuARE Brancu, Washington, cor. Norfolk St. 
DorRCHESTER BRANCH, Arcadia, cor. Adams St. 
Upuam’s CORNER BRANCH, Columbia Road, cor. Bird St. 
Lower MiLits READING Room, Washington, cor. Richmond St. 
MATTAPAN REaDING Room, 7 Babson St. 
Mount Bownpo1n ReEapING Room, Washington, cor. Eldon St. 
NEPONSET READING Room, 362 Neponset Ave. 


EAST BOSTON. 
East Boston BRANCH, 276-282 Meridian St. 
OrIENT HEIGHTS READING Room, 1030 Bennington St. 


HYDE PARK. 
Hype Park Brancn, Harvard Ave., cor. Winthrop St. 


JAMAICA PLAIN. 
Jamaica Piain Brancu, Sedgwick, cor. South St. 
BoYLsTon STATION READING Room, Depot Sq. 


ROXBURY. 
ROXBURY Brance, 46 Milmont St. 
WARREN STREET BRANCH, 392 Warren St. 
Mt. PLEASANT READING Room, Dudley, cor. Vine St. 
PaRKER H1ILt READING Room, 1518 Tremont St. 
RoxBuRY CROSSING READING Room, 208 Ruggles St. 


SOUTH BOSTON. 
Soutu Boston BrancH, 372 Broadway. 
ANDREW SQUARE READING Room, 396 Dorchester St. 
City Point Reapinc Room, Broadway, near H St. 


WEST ROXBURY. 


ROSLINDALE BRANCH, Washington, cor. Ashland St. 
West Roxbury Brancu, Centre, near Mt. Vernon St. 


THE PUBLIC iialisebes OF THE CITY OF BOSTON: PRINTING DEPARTMENT. 
MP6; 6.2.21; 3M. 


THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. 


Note.— Fuller information on most of the topics treated in this 
Guide will be found in other publications of the Library, to be 
obtained without charge on application at the Centre Desk in Bates 
Hall, at the Registration Desk, and at all Branches. 


LocaTIon. The Public Library of the City of Boston com- 
prises a Central Library in Copley Square, and thirty Branches 
and Reading Rooms in various parts of the city. A list of the 
latter, with locations, is printed on the opposite page. 

CENTRAL Liprary. The Copley Square building has three 
floors, in which public departments are arranged as follows: 
Street floor: Open Shelf Room; Information Office; Govern- 
ment News Office; Newspaper Room; Periodical Rooms; 
Patent Department; Newspaper Files; Lavatories; Check 
Room. Second or Main floor: Delivery Room, for the issue 
and return of books; Bates Hall, the principal reading-room, 
with the main card catalogue; Registration Department, for 
issue of cards; Librarian’s Office; Children’s Department; 
Teachers’ Reference Room; Lecture Hall; Statistical Depart- 
ment (entrance in rear of Court, street floor). Third or Special 
Libraries floor: Exhibition Room; Photograph Collection; 
Technology Reading Room; Fine Arts Reading Room; Music 
Library; Barton-Ticknor Library. . 

Works oF Art. The Central Library contains mural 
decorations by Puvis de Chavannes (Staircase Hall, second 
floor), Edwin A. Abbey (Delivery Room, second floor), 
John Elliott (Teachers’ Reference Room, second floor), 
Joseph Lindon Smith (Venetian Lobby, second floor), and 
John S. Sargent (Sargent Hall, third floor). Among other 
important works of art in the building are the bronze doors. 
by Daniel Chester French (Main Entrance); the statue of 
Sir Henry Vane, by Frederick MacMonnies (Vestibule); 
and the marble lions, by Louis St. Gaudens (Main Staircase). 
For descriptions of the mural paintings, see the illustrated 
“Handbook of the Boston Public Library,” for sale on the 
second floor, opposite the elevator, where photographs and 
postcards of the Library may also be obtained. 

BRANCHES AND READING Rooms. Each of these small 
libraries has its own collection of books and periodicals, 
and issues Library Cards, books, and photographs. Books 
from the Central. Library may be applied for at any Branch, 
for delivery next day. Books drawn from the Central Library 
may be returned at a Branch: similarly, books drawn at a 
Branch may be returned at the Central Library or at another 
Branch. Procedure at the Branches is simpler than that at 


the Central Library, with closer personal relatioms between 
attendants and public; but it follows the same lines, and uni- 
form rules apply throughout the Library system. _ 

Cotiections. The Public Library system contains about 
a million and a quarter volumes, of which about 900,000 are 
in the Central Library, and about 300,000 in the Branches and 
Reading Rooms. About 50,000 volumes are added yearly; 
deductions for various causes are such that the average net 
increase is about 25,000 volumes annually. In addition to 
books, the Library possesses over 50,000 photographs, about 
8500 lantern slides, and many manuscripts. 

LisraRy Hours. Central Library: Winter, 9 a.m. to io 
p.m.; Summer (June 15 to September 15), 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 
Sundays and holidays, 12m, to 10 p.m. (Sundays, June 15 to 
Sept. 15, 2.to 9 p.m.) The open hours at Branches are given 
in each Quarterly Bulletin; in general, Branches are open 
from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Reading Rooms from 2 to 6 and 
7 toQ p.m. 

Hatt and Home Use or Booxs. The collections of the 
Library are for use both within Library buildings (Hall Use) 
and outside (Home Use). All material belonging to the 
Library is for,the free Hall Use of all adult readers, irrespec- 
tive of residence; most of the books may be drawn for Home 
Use by inhabitants of Boston. 

CaTALoGuEs. Access to the books of the Library is ob- 
tained by means of the card catalogues, which are intended | 
to be used freely by the public. The main catalogue is at 
the south end of Bates Hall; it is complete except for prose 
fiction in English, and for music and its literature. The 
fiction catalogue is in the Delivery Room; the catalogue of 
music is in the Music Room on the Special Libraries floor. 
The Library publishes for free distribution two Bulletins 
of new books, Weekly (on Saturday) and Quarterly. The 
former is an author list only; the latter is a “dictionary” 
catalogue with full subject-references, and class-lists of bi- 
ography, essays, drama, fiction, music and poetry. 

Tue CataLtocue Carp. The catalogue is composed of 
cards, each describing a book, and giving the call-number 
by which it may be obtained. For a full account of the 
method of getting a book with the help of the catalogue, see 
the pamphlet entitled “How to find and procure a book.” 

ARRANGEMENT OF THE CATALOGUE. The catalogue cards are 
arranged in drawers, in alphabetical order; the catalogue is 
of the “dictionary” type, with authors, subjects, and titles in 
a single alphabet. In case of any difficulty in finding a title 
in the card catalogue, an attendant should be consulted. 

Catt-stips. Books are obtained by use of call-slips, to be 
found at all desks in the Library, and on tables beside the 
card catalogues. The “Hall Use” slips are printed on gray 
paper (for Bates Hall; other colors for special departments); 
the “Home Use” slips are printed on manila paper (but slips 
for use with Special Cards are on pink paper). 


To Get a Boox ror Hatt Use. Look up the book in the 
card catalogue (see “How to find and procure a book”), 
seeking an attendant’s aid if needed; write its call-number 
(printed at the right side of the catalogue card) on a Hall 
Use slip, opposite the word “Number”; if there is more 
than one volume, indicate which is wanted; below, write 
the author’s name and a brief title; sign name and address at 
the bottom of the slip; write at the top the number of a seat 
in the reading-room, to be found on the edge of the table; 
and leave the slip at the desk. The book should be delivered 
at the reader’s seat within fifteen minutes; if delayed longer, 
notification should be given at the desk. There is no limit to 
the number of books whch may be applied for at one time; 
make a separate slip for each book wanted, except in the case 
of volumes of sets. (On getting a book for Home Use, see 
page 5.) 

LetTtTEerRED Copies. Prefixed to the call-numbers of many 
books in the catalogue will be found a letter or letters; these 
are part of the number, and must be written with it. Z in- 
dicates that a book is in the Children’s Room; C, that it is a 
Congressional document, to be consulted in the Statistical 
Department; N, that it is a bound newspaper, to be seen in 
the Patent Department; B.H., that it is on the open shelves 
in Bates Hall. All other letters, except B, show that the book 
is on the Special Libraries floor, and must be consulted there; 
this is true also of books marked “Cab.” and “Map.” 

Books IN ForeicGn Lancuaces. ‘Titles of books in various 
foreign languages will be found grouped together, either in 
the card catalogue or in special lists which have been issued 
in book form. For the latter consult an attendant. 

NewspaPer Fires. The bound files of newspapers are to 
be consulted in the Patent Department. There is no full card 
catalogue of these newspapers; a complete finding list is kept 
in the Patent Department. 

Mepicat Booxs. The Boston Public Library does not 
cover the field of medicine; most of its books and periodicals 
in this department have been transferred to the Boston Medi- 
cal Library, 8 Fenway, where they may be used by the public 
between the hours of 9.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. (Saturday, 9.30 
a.m. to 12m.) The Library still purchases books on hygiene 
and nursing, but not on medicine, pharmacy, or dentistry. 

Law Books. In the field of law, the collection of the Li- 
brary is limited. The best public law library in Boston is in 
the State Library, on the third floor of the State House; 
hours, 9 to 5 daily, except Sunday (Saturday, 9 to 1). 

Directories. The Library has a large collection of Ameri- 
can city directories, for which application should be made in 
the Information Office. 

GuipE To SertAL Pusrications.’ There is in preparation a 
co-operative list of periodicals, society transactions, etc., cur- 
rently received by some sixty libraries in Boston and its 


vicinity. The material for this list is at present kept in the 
Barton-Ticknor Library, where it is accessible to students. 
Persons engaged in research, who fail to find a periodical 
publication which they need, can usually learn where there 
is a copy by reference to this catalogue. 


Open Suetves. The Open-Shelf Room on the street floor 
of the Library contains about 2500 classified volumes for cir- 
culation; these books are changed frequently, and are chosen 
with a view to their popular appeal. In Bates Hall and vari- 
ous other rooms of the Library, books for reference are as- 
sembled on open shelves; these may be used freely, without 
formality; the attendants will explain the arrangement. 
Books recently acquired are displayed in the Open-Shelf 
Room and in other departments of the Library. Recent fic- 
tion is kept on the open shelves in the Delivery Room. Books 
on important current topics may be found on shelves at the 
right of the Centre Desk in Bates Hall. All books in the 
Children’s Room are on open shelves. 


LiprAry Carps. Cards permitting the holder to draw 
books for Home Use are issued without cost to residents of 
Boston, and to certain other classes of persons. Cards of 
residents are good for two years, at the end of which time 
they may be renewed. They enable adults to draw from the 
Library four books—two of which may be fiction —and 
children of reading age, but under sixteen years old, two. 
books at a time, to be kept for two weeks. Cards are issued 
at the Registration Desk, and at all Branches; applicants for 
cards are required to sign the form provided for the purpose, 
giving a reference. For all matters connected with Library 
Cards and their use, see the pamphlet entitled “Rules and 
Regulations.” 


To Get A Book For Home Use. Look up the book in the 
card catalogue, and write its call-number in the column at the 
right side of the manila Home Use slip, making out as many 
slips as you desire books. Since a book specially wanted 
may not be available, it is wise to place the call-numbers of 
other books on each slip, as alternative choices. Write name 
and address on the slip, and hand it in with your Library Card 
at the window in the Delivery Room marked “Apply,” or at 
the proper desk in other departments. Within ten minutes, 
the book should be brought from the stack, and the borrower 
notified by having his name called. If there is undue delay in 
the delivery of a book, the borrower is requested to give 
notice at the desk, that the cause of delay may be traced. A 
person who is repeatedly unsuccessful in securing a desired 
book may ask for a special search, using a form to be obtained 
at the Delivery Desk; if the book cannot be found, he may re- 
quest the purchase of another copy. A reader who has ob- 
tained a book for hall use,'-and wishes to take it home, may 
have it charged on his Library Card at the desk in the reading 
room. 


RETURNING A Book, Fines AND RENEWatLs. If it is not re- 
turned earlier, every book not issued under special conditions 
must be brought to the Library (or to one of its Branches) 
at the expiration of two weeks from the time it was borrowed, 
and left, with the Library Card, at the window marked 
“Return” in the Delivery Room. A fine is incurred by 
keeping a book beyond the period for which it was issued; 
willingness to pay the fine does not, however, authorize the 
borrower to retain a book indefinitely. books not returned 
promptly are sent for at the borrower’s expense. Books may 
not be renewed immediately on their return, nor are they 
held in reserve for applicants. 

RESTRICTIONS: ON Borrowrnc. An asterisk (*) before the 
number of a book indicates that the book does not circulate 
freely for Home Use; many such books may, however, be 
taken out by special permission. If desirous of borrowing 
one of these books, consult the official in charge. 

THE LrprARIAN’s OFFICE is reached through the Delivery 
Room, on the second floor; his office hours are from 9 to 5 
daily, except Sunday. 

INFORMATION on general subjects should be sought at the 
desks in Bates Hall; in certain fields expert assistance may 
be found in special departments (see below). On current 
topics, inquiry should be made in the Information Office. 

SpecIAL DEPARTMENTS. Following is a brief indication of 
the scope of each: 

Fine Arts Department (third floor.) Books in the fields of 
fine arts (architecture, painting, sculpture, etc.), industrial 
arts, applied sciences, and technology. Fine Arts periodicals. 
Collections of photographs and lantern slides, for study and 
for circulation. Special catalogues. 

Music Room (third floor). Allen A. Brown reference col- 
lection of music and the literature of music. Large collection 
of music for home use. Musical and dramatic periodicals, 
indexes, scrap-books. 

Barton-Ticknor Library (third floor). Special collections, 
restricted to use within the building: Shakespeareana, Ameri- 
cana, Spanish literature, Civil War material, dramatic his- 
tory, maps, etc. Quiet reading-rooms, where students engaged 
‘in prolonged research may have books reserved. 

Statistical Department (second floor; entrance in rear of court, 
street floor). Books and periodicals in the fields of finance, 
economics and statistics, and official publications of all 
countries... Special indexes and other helps. 

Patent Department (strect floor, rear of court). Complete 
files of patent specifications of the United States and other 
countries, with helps to their use. Here are kept also the 
bound files of newspapers. 

Periodical Department (street floor). Current numbers of 
some 1400 periodicals, and 25,000 bound volumes of maga- 
zines. Full equipment of indexes as aids in reference work. 


Ue 


Newspaper Room (street floor). Current newspapers from 
the leading cities of the world, including at least two frum 
every State in the Union, and one from each foreign country. 
Back numbers are kept on file for a considerable period. 

Children’s Department (second floor). Books for young 
people, on open shelves. Pictures and magazines, and other 
material of interest to children. A weekly story-hour is con- 
ducted in the department. 

Teachers’ Reference Room (second floor, off Children’s Room). 
Books and periodicals on pedagogy and allied subjects, and 
a reference collection of books of interest to parents and to 
teachers of all grades. 

Information Office (street floor). Directories, guide-books, 
and other sources of quick information. Filing-cases with 
material on current topics. Vocational collection. House- 
organs of leading business organizations. 

Open-Shelf Room (street floor). New non-fiction, and classi- 
fied collection of interesting older books, for circulation. 

Government News Office (street floor). The latest publica- 
tions of the Federal Government, practically complete to date, 
arranged by departments and bureaus, with full indexes. 
Government periodicals. 

Pusiic Lectures. From October to April of each season, 
series of free lectures are held in the Lecture Hall on Thurs- | 
day evenings at 8, and on Sunday afternoons at 3.30. Lists 
are published in the Quarterly Bulletins for September 30 
and December 31.. The entrance to the Lecture Hall is from 
Boylston Street; doors open at 1.30 and 6. The Lecture Hall 
is available under certain restrictions for public lectures and 
meetings of a popular educational character. 

Puspitic TELEPHONES are in the street-floor corridor, at the 
right, near the Newspaper Room. 

A Pusiic STENOGRAPHER has her office on the street floor, 
near the elevator; she may be employed for copying any 
material in the Library. 

A CueEckK Room is maintained on the street floor, near the 
elevator, during the winter and in bad weather, for the con- 
venience of the public. Safety requires that umbrellas and 
wraps be checked by visitors to the reading-rooms. 

PHoTOGRAPHIC CopiEs of material in the Library may be 
arranged for through the Librarian’s office. 

Writtnc MATERIALS are on sale at the Registration Desk. 

Lost ARTICLES may be reclaimed at the fiction desk in the 
Delivery Room. 

TeELEPHONE Use. The Library telephone number is Back Bay 
8750 The public is invited to call on the Library for infor- 
mation on any reasonable subject; in most cases an answer 
can be given promptly. For telephones at Branches, consult 
telephone directory, under Boston, City of: Library Department; 
a list is also given in the Quarterly Bulletin of the Library. 


